Heatwave drives consumers inside impacting June footfall

While in the months prior, glimpses of the summer sun brought shoppers outside, for June, a major heatwave kept them in. During the five weeks to July 5, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported a 1.8 percent year-on-year drop in total UK footfall, with “extreme weather” cited as the primary cause.

Footfall fell across all shopping destinations. High streets took the biggest hit, with activity dropping 3 percent. This was followed by shopping centres, which reported a 1.8 percent decrease in footfall, while retail parks saw a 1.1 percent drop.

In terms of regions, Northern Ireland reported the sharpest decline at 5.2 percent, followed by Wales at 3.3 percent and Scotland at 3 percent. England’s decrease in footfall was more marginal at 1.4 percent.

The variations of weather, from heatwaves to severe thunderstorms, discouraged visitors, BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson, said in a statement responding to the figures. Such extreme weather deterred shoppers from visiting their local stores, while “subdued consumer sentiment” also meant they remained cautious, “making it increasingly difficult for retailers to generate strong footfall”.

Dickinson added: “However, there were more encouraging signs in some parts of the UK, with Manchester and Birmingham recording positive footfall for the third consecutive month. This is thanks to popular new shops opening and major concerts drawing in crowds.”